Printing-plate and process of producing same.



following is a specification.

of an all-metal planographic printing plate of Xew York, have invented new and useful as planographic plates.

metal which is of such nature as to'actef- UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

GEORGE E. CORNWALL, 0F RYE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN PLANOGRAP COMPANY, A. CORPORATION WEST VIRGINIA.

PRINTINGQPEATE AND PROCESS OF PRODUCING SAME.

Patented Mar. 8-, 1910.

No Drawing. Application filed April 17, 1905, Serial No. 256,120. Renewed July 22, 1909. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. CORNWALL, i a citizenlof the United States,residing at Rye, in the county of WVestchester and btate Improvements in Printing-Plates and Processes of Producing the Same, of which the The invention relates to printing plates and, more particularly, to the class known An ob ect of the invention is to provide a printing plate which shall be of comparatively inexpensive and-simple manufacture, and which shall possess printing qualities of a high order, and to provide a method for producing such a plate. These and other objects of the invention will more fully ap-- pear from the following description.

The invention has in view the production in which the ink-rejecting part is composed of metal which has passed to the solid from the liquid state, (and which may be allowed to do so without being subjected to any influences tending to change or modify the structure andqualities which it naturally assumes on passing to the solid from the liquid state,) and includes a process for pro ducing such a plate.

The invention consists in the novel processes, steps and articles herein described.

The process has in. view the taking of a ficiently as the ink-taking element of a planographic printing surface and depositing thereon a metal, while in the liquid or molten state, which is adapted to act as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic printing surface, and the removing of the deposited metal after deposition so as to expose the basic metal in such manner or form so as to define the'desi n, the combined surface constituting a pTanographic printing surface.

A manner of carrying out the said process is hereinafter set forth.

A material which is adapted to act as the ink-taking element of a planographic surface, such as the metal iron, is taken and is given a regular surface, which said surface may be a plane or may be cylindrical, or have any other desired conformation. The

face of then) surface of the said iron base or member is then cleaned from all foreign material and being at a proper temperature is dipped into a liquidor molten metal which is capable of acting as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic surface, such as zinc. 'The plate may then be removed from the molten metal, when it will carry with it an adherent coating of the same. The plate is then allowed to cool. Thereafter the surlate, which now consists of the said ink-rejecting metal, may be surfaced in -a suitable manner, when desirable, as by planing, grinding, graining, or otherwise.

Having the surface in proper condition, the next step consists in transferring the design to the surface of the platein such form as to protect all parts of the surface excepting the design from the action of a reducing agent, which reducing agent is used for the purpose of removing the surface layer in the portions which are to constitute the design, so as to expose the basic and ink taking metal in the design-constituting portions. One manner of effecting this is by' covering the surfaceof the plate with a sensitized coating or film, which may be of any suitable material, as chromated albumen, chromated gelatin, sensitive asphalt, or other suitable substance. The design is then transferred to the surface in a suitable manner, as by means of a negative, or in the case of composed printed matter a translucent or transparent paper or other fabrlc may be used as a carrier for the printed matter and this may be appliedto the plate face-to or reversed as may be suitable. The plate is then exposed to the light. After being exposed the plate may be rolled up 1n ink, or not, as desired, and it is then developed. Where the action of the light has been entirely cut off by the negative or other designbearing medium, the surface of the plate will be exposed by reason of the entire sensitive coating dissolving away in the process of development. The surface of the plate will thus be left exposed in the design-constituting portions. The surface of the albumen, after this treatment, is rolled up in an acid resistant medium. A reducing agent may then be applied, and will attack the surface where exposed, and will etch it away so as to expose the basic metal. A suitable I may be removed by a proper solvent, such as potash, thus leaving the plate clean. The

, surface of the plate now consists of a design in the ink-taking or basic metal while the remainder of the surface consists of the ink rejecting metal.

Where it is not desired to use some form of design-bearing surface acting as a negative, other means of securing the proper action of the light .upon the surface may be used. lVhere characters have been placed upon transfer paper in reverse, that'is the ink being applied around instead of on the character, leaving the character outlined in the material of the paper a direct transfer may be made to the sensitive surface of the plate. In this case the design may be transferred direct to the surface of the plate without the application of a sensitive coating, as the ink from the transfer sheet will cover all parts of the plate excepting the design part,

which is the part it is desired to remove in order to expose the design in the basic metal.

The design so placed upon the metal plate may be reinforced by a. proper resist such as a resinous material, and a reducing agent may be then applied in substantially the manner set forth above. After the reducing agent has acted to remove the overlying film of metal so as to expose the basic metal to form the design, the plate may then be cleaned and will have a surface in which the design is defined in the ink-taking or basic metal, while the remainder of the surface consists of the ink-rejecting metal.

The invention, in its broader aspects, is not limited to the particular manner or means for carrying out the invention, nor to any particular manner or means, as changes may be made in these without departing from the main' principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What I do claim as my invention and de: sire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface. of a metal plate or base a metal in a liquid or molten state so as to form a layer or coating thereon, and then removing said layer or coating from a portion of the surface of said plate or base, so that the surface of said layer or coating and of said plate or base, where it is exposed, may constitute aplanographic printing surface.

2. The process of producing a. printing plate which consistsin applying to the surface of a metal plate or base a metal in a liquid or molten state so as to form a layer or coating thereon, then protecting a por tion of said layer or coating bya resist and then removing the unprotected portions of aamoa said layer or coating, in order that the. surface of said layer or coating and that of said plate or base, where itis exposed, may constitute a planographic printing surface. K

3. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the sur- ,face of a metal plate or base a metal in a liquid or molten state so as to form a layer or coating thereon, then protecting a portion of said layer or coating by a resist and,

then applying a reducing agent so as to removethe unprotected portions of said layer or coating, in order that the surface of said layer Orcoating and that of said plate or base, where it is exposed, may constitute a planographic printing surface...

4:. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal plate or base a second metal in a liquid or molten state so as to form a layer or coating thereon, and then removing said coating or layer from a portion of the surface of said plate or base so that the sur face of said layer or coating and of said plate or base, where it is exposed, may constitute a planographic printing surface.

'5. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal plate or base a second metal in a liquid or molten state so as to form a layer or coating thereon, then protecting a portion of said layer or coating by a resist and then removing the unprotected portions of said layer or coating, in orderthat the surface of said layer or coating and that of said plate or base, where it is exposed, may constitute a. planographic rinting surface.

6. The process of pro ucing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal plate or base a second metal in a liquid or molten state so as to form a layer or coating thereon, then protecting a portion of said layer or coating by a resist and then applying a reducing agent so as to remove the unprotected portions of said layer or-coating, in order that the surface of said layer or coating and that of said plate or base, where it is exposed, may constitute a planographic printing surface.

7. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a'metal adapted to act as the inktaking element of a planographic printing surface a. metal in a molten or liquld state, so as to form a layer or coating upon the said metal, said "layer or coating being adapted to act as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic printing surface, and then removing the said layer or coatin from that portion of the surface of the said metal which is to constitute the design.

8. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal, adapted to act as the ink taking element of a planographic printing said metal, said layer or coating beingadapted to act as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic printingsurfaceg applying a resist to the surface of the said layer or coating upon those parts exterior to the design, and then removing the said layer or coating from that portion of the surface of the said metal which is to constitute the design,

9. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal adapted to act as the ink-- taking element of a planographic printing surface a metal in a molten or liquid state, so as to form a layer or coating upon the said metal, said layer or coating being adaptedto act as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic printing surface, applying a resist to the surface of the said layer or coating upon those parts exterior to the design, then applying a reducing agent to the exposed portions of said layer or coating so as to remove such exposed portions of said layer or coating, in order that the surface of said layer or coating and that of said plate or base where exposed by the removal of the layer or coating, may constitute a planographic printing surface.

10. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal adapted to act as the inktaking element of a lanographic printing surface a second metal in a molten or'liquid state, so as to format layer or coating upon the first metal, said layer or coating being adapted to act as the ink-rejecting elementof a planographic printing surface, and then Y removing the said layer or coating of said second metal from that portion of the surface of the first metal which is to constitute the design, so that said layer or coating and the exposed portion of said first metal may constitute a planographic printing surface.

11. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal adapted to act as the inktaking element of a planographic printing surface a second metal in a molten or liquid state, so as to form a layer or coating upon the first metal, said layer or coating being adapted to act as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic printing surface, applying a resist to the surface of the second metal upon those parts exterior to the design, and then removing the layer or coating of said second metal from that portion of the surface of the first metal which is to constitute the design.

12. The process of producing a printing plate which consists in applying to the surface of a metal adapted to act as the inktaking elementof a planographic printing surface a. second metal in a molten orliquid state, so as to form a layer or coating upon the first metal, said layer or coating being adapted to act as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic printing surface, applying a resist to the surface of the second metal upon those parts exterior to the design, and then applying a reducing agent so as to remove the unprotected portions of said layer or coating from that portion of the surface of the first metal which is to constitute the design, in order that the surface of the said layer or coating and that of said plate or base may constitute a planographic printing surface.

13. The process of producing a printin plate which consists in immersing a metal adapted to act as an element of a planographic printing surface in a molten or liquid metal adapted to act as the other element of a planographic printing surface, withdrawing said metal with its adherent coating of molten or liquid metal, allowing same to cool and then removing a portion of said layer or coating so as to enable the said elements together to constitute a planographic printing surface.

14;. Theprocess of producing a printing plate which consists in immersing a metal adapted to act as an element of a planographic printing surface' ina molten or liquid metal adapted to act as'the other element of a planographic printing surface, withdrawing said metal with its adherent coating of molten ,or liquid metal, allowing same to cool, applying a resist to a portion of the surface of the said layer or coating and then removing the said layer or coating. where not covered by the resist, so as to enable the said elements together to constitute a planographic printing surface.

15. The process of producing a printin plate which consists in immersing :1, meta adapted to act as an element of a planographic printing surface in a molten or liq- V uid metal adapted to act as the other element of a planographic printing surface, withdrawing said metal with its adherent coating of molten or liquid metal, allowing same to cool, applying a resist to a portion of the surface of the said layer or coating, applying a reducing agent to the exposed portions of said layer or coating so as to remove same, so that the said elements together constitute a planographic printing surface.

16. The process of producing a printin plate which consists in immersing a meta adapted to act as the ink-taking element of a planographic printing surface in a molten or liquid metal adapted to act as the ink-rejecting element of a planographic printing surface, withdrawing same with its adherent layer or coating of molten metal, allowing it to cool, and then removing the layer of ink-rejectin metal from that portion of the surface WhlCll is to constitute the design.

a: sari 17. The rocess of producing a printin plate ,Whic consists in immersin a meta adapted to act as the ink-taking e ement of a planographic printing surface in a molten or liquid metal adapted to act as the inkrejecting element of a planographic printing surface, withdrawing same with its inherent layer or coating of molten metal, allowing it to cool, applying a resist to the non-design parts of the surface, and then applying a reducing agent to the exposed portion of the surface so as to expose the surface of the ink-taking element to constitute the design in the planographic printing surface.

18.rThe process of producing a printing plate which consists in immersing a metal adapted to act as the ink'taking element of a planographic printing surface in a molten or liquid metal adapted to act as the inkrejecting element of a planographiciprinting surface, withdrawing said metal with its adherent layer or coating, allowing same to cool, applying an acid-resistant material to 'those portions of the surface exterior to the.

design, applying an acid reducing agent to the exposed portions of the surface so as to etch or cut away the said layer or coating and to expose the surface of the ink-taking 20. A printing plate having a lanographic printing surface wherein the esign is defined in an ink-taking metal and the remainder of the surface consists of an inkrejecting metal which has been deposited upon the surface of the plate in the molten state and has been allowed to cool without being subjected to-any influences tending to change or modi the structure and qualities which it natural y assumes on passing to the solid from the liquid state.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: Jon D. MoncAN,

CLARA PHILLIPS. 

